Brush Fire
by Colleen17
Summary: Station 51 is caught in the grips of a wind-driven fire.
1. Chapter 1

It was perfect fire conditions; the state was gripped by an extreme heat wave and had been enduring two months of little or no rain. A few small fires had broken out in various parts of the state, with the most dangerous fires being monitored in Pasadena, Oakland and Woodland Hills. Background temperatures reached 115 F the humidity was low and winds were in excess of 62 mph around Woodland Hills. Many fire stations had been called to the area and one of those stations was A Shift of station 51.

All the men were tired, as they tried to keep back the beast by initiating back burning. Protecting the various small towns in the area was the priority. A cool change hit the state in the early evening, bringing with it lower temperatures but gale- force south westerly winds in excess of 75 mph. This change in wind direction caused the eastern flanks of the fires to become massive fire fronts that burned with incredible speed and ferocity towards the small towns scattered amongst the hills.

Everyone involved with the fire was taken by surprise. There was no time to run if you found yourself close to the fire front because it was burning and moving at an intense rate. Station 51 along with a few other engines was located just outside one of these small towns. It became obvious very quickly that the hours they had spent back burning were wasted. The fire front was moving so fast that it jumped the lines of defence without any effort.

The small town had spent the day thinking it was safe only to find itself overwhelmed by the wind driven fire. When Captain Stanley realised how much danger the town was in they quickly started to evacuate the area. There equipment was simply too inadequate to fight as everything was devoured at an alarming rate.

In the underdeveloped surroundings of the small town, where dry vegetation was fuelling the fire, the scattered homes had no chance against the fire. Home owners who stayed to defend their homes soon found the heat so intense that they couldn't even escape in their cars because the tires had melted. Those who did escape in their cars were quickly overtaken by the fire. Later gruesome discoveries were made of burnt out cars with their occupants.

Station 51s crew found themselves fighting the fire one house at a time. This meant a lot of houses were left unprotected but there was nothing the men could do because they were simply overwhelmed.

Chet and Marco had their hose directed towards the roof of a house while Roy and Johnny were directing their hose on the outside of the house. They were winning until a tree that was located in the front yard suddenly came down on the roof of the house. All their efforts were in vain. There was no way they could stop the fire from devouring the house so they moved on to make sure it didn't spread to the neighbours house.

Johnny and Roy turned around and aimed their hose at the next house. As soon as it was safe they moved onto the next house and this went on till the early hours of the morning. When they finally stopped and looked back they had only saved ten houses in a street of thirty. It was quite devastating to look back at the carnage. All the men were beyond tired as their relief finally arrived.

"This is the worst brush fire I have ever fought" said Chet with conviction.

"Same here" said Captain Stanley.

"How's everyone's eyes?" asked Roy as he looked everyone over for any injuries. No one spoke up. Johnny had only half eaten his food and was already asleep; lying back on the grass under the tree they had commandeered had been too inviting.

"Wake him up, he needs to eat" ordered Captain Stanley.

Roy shook Johnny awake and told him to sit up and finish his food and drink otherwise he'd get dehydrated. It was 6am and the heat was already building. The crew grabbed four hours sleep and were assigned to another small town within the hills. The weather conditions were the same as the day before except for the winds, they were more intense.

The town they were trying to protect had been evacuated but for a handful of volunteers who stayed to protect their homes. Captain Stanley sent Roy and Johnny out to these volunteers to make sure they were adequately dressed and knew what they were doing.

They found one homeowner shirtless and defending his home with a garden hose whilst standing on the roof of his house. Johnny and Roy jumped out of the squad and told him to get down from the roof. When he turned and started walking towards the ladder he slipped on the wet slates and fell from the roof.

Johnny and Roy grabbed their equipment and raced over to the owner. He was conscious and in a lot of pain. His leg was fractured and his back was cut up from sliding along the roof. After calling it in they were told the ambulance would be forty minutes. There was nothing they could do but wait. Johnny plugged up his gutters and placed the running hose on the roof. He also used the shovel to clear as much of the vegetation surrounding the house as he could in the time frame.

When the ambulance arrived, Roy went in with the patient and Johnny continued to check on any remaining home owners hoping that he wouldn't come across one as stupid as their last. He told a couple to cover up, being so hot; it was natural to strip off. In fire situations Johnny pointed out to them that they needed to protect their skin by wearing wool or cotton.

Checking his watch he contacted Roy on his HT. "Squad 51 to HT51 what is your status?" There was no answer. "Squad 51 to HT 51 what is your status?" Silence met Johnny's ears.

He called despatch on the squad's radio and asked if they knew Roy's status. They said he left the hospital to return to base, in the ambulance over an hour ago. He asked Sam to contact the ambulance and check where they were.

"Squad 51 Ambulance is currently not answering their radio. Suggest you follow their route and report findings.

"10-4" Johnny jumped into the squad and followed the road they would take from the hospital to his location. He soon found the ambulance parked on the side of the road. No-one was around. Johnny called it in and Captain Stanley told him they would be there in fifteen minutes. Johnny started to scan the ravine next to the road wondering if they saw something and went to help. The smoke was starting to get thick and it made searching near impossible.

Johnny couldn't see anything out of the ordinary so he tried the HT again. "Squad 51 to HT 51 do you copy"

"Johnny we need help" came back Roy's voice with a lot of static interference.

"Roy where are you, I'm next to the ambulance?" asked Johnny.

Only static replied. Johnny began to worry. He paced the side of the road looking for any evidence of someone having made their way down into the ravine. Bushes should be showing some sign of disturbance, but there was nothing. He walked further down the road from the direction the ambulance came, thinking maybe they saw something and parked the ambulance further along. The smoke was really getting thick and Johnny could feel his eyes stinging. He put on his goggles and kept searching. There was no sign of them.

The engine approached him. Johnny jumped up on top of the engine and looked down into the ravine. He caught sight of what looked like an overturned car. He only got a glimpse of it before the heavy smoke swirled into the ravine obscuring it.

"I think they're right below us Cap. I caught sight of an overturned car" Johnny yelled from on top of the engine.

"Ok Chet inch and half. Marco grab some shovels and a pry bar just in case."

"Do you think we should take the stokes Cap?" asked Johnny.

"Good idea, grab the one from the engine" he told Johnny.

"Now let's move we don't have much time" Cap directed as they made their way carefully down the ravine.

The combination of the smoke and the heat made the trek more difficult. All the men were fatigued from the afternoon and night before. Through the smoke they finally caught glimpses of the car and Johnny saw the light blue of Roy's shirt. He sighed with relief; he had been worrying that he was sending them on a wild goose chase.

"ROY!" he yelled.

"Over here" came back Roy's voice. Everyone was coughing and breathing heavy.

When they reached Roy Johnny exclaimed "Am I glad to see you" and he patted his partner on the back. "What have we got?" he asked.

"Two victims, husband and wife. Wife's in a bad way" Roy told Johnny quietly.

Cap's HT came to life "Engine 51 to Captain Stanley".

"Go ahead engine 51" replied Cap.

"Fire is less than ten minutes away, you need to move now" said Mike.

"Let's get these victims out now" commanded Stanley.

The wife was quickly put in the stokes, one of the ambulance attendants was holding pressure on a cut artery. Roy and the other attendant had been trying to free the husband. With the use of the crow bar they got him free. The attendant and Marco helped carry him out while Roy, Johnny and Cap carried the stokes.

They clumsily climbed back up to the engine, the temperature had increased substantially and the smoke was even thicker. They all looked down the road when they got to the top and could just make out the flames.

"Quickly on top of the engine let's go" called out Cap. Chet's hose was separated from the engine and dropped on the ground. Everyone climbed on top of the engine and Mike started her up and drove away from the ambulance, the squad and the wind-driven fire. By the speed the fire was approaching them they knew they were in trouble. Mike would have to draw on all his skills to get the engine out of there to safety.


	2. Chapter 2

The engine sliced through the thick, choking smoke with controlled precision. Mike manoeuvred the engine along the fire track concentrating on keeping the engine ahead of the fire. As the red lady coiled around the hills, her air brakes pierced the hillside. From behind, the roar of the wind-driven fire threatened to overtake her.

On top of the engine Roy, Johnny and the ambulance attendants held onto the rails of the engine with one hand and the husband and wife with the other. Each time the engine hit a furrow in the road they were bounced on the engine's back, their firm grasps stopping them from being thrown off. They closed their eyes and prayed that Mike would keep control and outrun the threatening beast.

Mike's arms encircled the steering wheel, his muscles straining as he steered his engine through the endless wall of smoke. He searched for the turnoff that would lead them to rocky terrain. Johnny lifted his head and dared to look back at the fire wall that was reaching out for them. It cursed them with the wind, shooting embers at them like bullets.

Mike spotted the turnoff through the smoke and quickly turned the engine pushing her into safer territory. Cap remained silent letting Mike concentrate on his task, exhibiting his trust in his engineer. Turning the engine allowed the fire to almost grip them, but without fuel the fire stalled and watched its prey escape.

Everyone looked back and watched the wall of fire crumble and the blanket of smoke fold away. Mike kept driving deep into the rocky hills to ensure their safety and finally stopped. They were all covered in sweat and breathing heavy. Their hearts were pumping rapidly and the taste of terror was in their mouths.

Mike and Cap jumped out of the engine and looked up at their passengers hoping they survived. The ambulance attendants climbed down slowly, their legs barely supporting them. Johnny and Roy quickly checked their patients. The wife had not survived, blood loss and shock taking her life. The husband reached over to his wife and took her hand. He was overwhelmed with grief. He looked at the paramedics with dismay. "Thank you for everything you did. You risked your lives for us, seems so unfair that she didn't survive after what we just went through" he said with despair.

"She never suffered" Roy told him caringly, hoping to give the husband some comfort. "We'll check your leg when you're ready" said Roy as they turned to leave.

Johnny and Roy climbed down from the engine giving the husband some private time with his wife to say goodbye. Their legs felt like jello and their heads pounded. Mike gave them a bottle of tepid water. Johnny grabbed Mike's arm "You saved our lives."

Mike looked at his engine "No she saved our lives." In the background they could hear Cap calling for despatch over the engines radio. It remained silent sending new fears through the spent men. Their situation became readily obvious, they were cut off.

"Nothing" said Cap. "How are the husband and wife?" he asked.

Roy looked down at the ground "The wife didn't survive, the husband's saying goodbye" he said thinking that they were lucky their own families weren't facing the same ordeal.

"Where does this road lead?" asked Johnny. Johnny's face was covered in flecks of burns from the embers. Roy and the ambulance attendants were also burnt but not as much as Johnny having kept their heads down.

"It leads to nowhere" replied Chet as he checked the engine's map. "We have to go back and continue along the track we were on and that meets up with the main road that will take us to base.

"We can't go back until we're sure the fire has passed or burnt out" Cap informed everyone.

"We should look for somewhere shady to get some rest before we head back" said Roy.

"That's a good idea Roy, let's find somewhere to rest up" Cap ordered.

"We should keep the engine exposed in case they send a helicopter out looking for us Cap" Johnny pointed out.

"We'll keep that in mind John" Cap said already aware of the necessity to keep the engine visible for searchers.

They moved further down the dirt track and found overhanging rocks that created enough shade for the men to rest under. Chet and Marco grabbed what yellow blankets they had on the engine and laid them out. Jackets were used as pillows and the men spread out and closed their eyes. Exhaustion from fighting the fire and from experiencing the terrifying ordeal claimed them all.

Mike was the first to wake. He looked around and noticed that Johnny and Roy were in the sun. He looked at his watch; it had been around two hours. He walked over to the engine and checked the tires and the engine's overall condition. Cap joined him "Everything alright Mike?"

"Yeah Cap" Mike answered. Cap climbed on to the top of the engine and looked towards the horizon, searching for heavy smoke. Soon they were joined by the rest of the group all waking up as they sensed movement in their sleep.

"How does it look Cap?" asked Chet stretching the kinks out of his body.

"Can't see any thick smoke, so, maybe we should start making our way back." Everyone agreed with Cap and climbed back onto the engine. They wanted to get back before darkness took over from the hazy yellow glow.

Mike had to drive a little further on to turn the engine around. As they approached the fire track that they had turned off, Mike stopped the engine at the intersection. Cap called out to Johnny "How does it look John?"

Johnny stood up on the engine and looked both ways. There was still a lot of smoke but the most shocking thing he saw was the blackened earth. Black tree stumps was all that remained, scattering the countryside likened protruding toothpicks. Johnny was speechless, he wondered if Mother Nature could recover from such devastating destruction. Seeing Johnny's distress, Roy stood up and looked for himself. He gasped and was stunned like his partner. Soon everyone was standing on top of the engine in stunned silence. None of them had seen such destruction before and they all knew they had cheated death. Thanking their engine and engineer seemed inadequate.

Everyone returned to their seats and the engine slowly turned and continued its journey down the fire track. No-one could take their eyes off the countryside. Nothing could prepare the band of men for what lied ahead. The images would haunt them for the rest of their lives. Life would be cherished and never taken for granted by each of them, for their remaining lives.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn't long before they encountered their first gruesome sight. A family of four still seated in their completely burnt out car stood at the side of the road. They tagged and covered the bodies and they marked the spot on their map for the authorities. When they got back on the engine Cap tried despatch once more and was answered with nothing but static, a stark contrast to silence they received before.

"Well, I guess that's better than nothing" he said to Mike. "Maybe further down the road we'll get something" he said optimistically. Everyone sat in silence as the engine slowly drove her way through the dead hills. They felt like they were the only living people meandering aimlessly through these hills. After having only experienced the frantic journey hours before, this eerie slow journey made them feel unnerved.

"Finally" said Cap as he saw a limping man walking along the side of the road. The engine pulled up but the man continued to walk as if in a trance. Roy and Johnny jumped down from the engine and approached the man with Cap cautiously.

"Hi there, can we help you? We're LA County Firemen" Roy said as he gently took the man's arm. Johnny looked him over; he was burnt on his shoulders and arms.

He stopped and blinked at the three men as if seeing them for the first time. "I couldn't get away, my stock, my home it's all gone. I couldn't get away" he said in shock.

"Sir, can we just check you out? You've got some nasty burns there" Johnny said trying to get the man's attention.

He turned his head and looked at Johnny "It was like a speeding train and it ran right over me. I pulled the trough over me and felt it heat up. That's what burnt me...the trough got so hot it burnt me" said the man looking at his shoulders.

"Well, how about you come over to the engine and we'll put something on those burns and take you to an aide station to get you fixed up" said Johnny as he led him over to the engine. "Did you hurt your leg?" he asked noticing him limp.

"I think the trough came down on my ankle" he said absently not realising he was on top of the engine. He lay still, as Johnny and Roy used the limited supply of sterile sheets and water they had on the engine.

Mike continued their journey steering through the nightmare knowing there was no escape because they were already awake.

Cap continued to try to contact base and despatch but there was no reply. He began to worry, were they the only ones left? Mike was thinking the same thing as he pushed on through the black landscape scanning for any sign of life. Cap scanned the horizon from his seat and noted that the wind had changed direction.

On top of the engine the burnt man, whose name was Karl, was finally dozing. The husband from the car accident, whose name was Jason, sat with the man. He needed to focus on something that was alive and real. Johnny and Roy thought it was good for him as his dead wife laid on one side of the engine under a blanket.

"Roy, we only have limited supplies, if we come across"

"I know I was just thinking that myself" Roy cut in. He looked at his watch "These people need urgent medical help. We're still at least an hour away from that help" he said dismally. Johnny nodded in agreement and grimaced when he looked out over the landscape. He too noted the change in direction of the wind. He rubbed his hand over his face and regretted it immediately. The burns on his face stung as he quickly pulled his hand away.

Roy noticed "Let me have a look at those burns" he said with concern.

Johnny scowled as he dabbed at them with water. "Some of them are inflamed" he stated. "We need saline solution" he said with frustration.

"We can clean them up when we get to base" Johnny said reassuringly, sensing his partner's frustration. "Did you notice that the wind's changed direction?" asked Johnny.

"Yeah, north east" stated Roy with concern.

They both sat back and stared at the countryside absently, losing themselves in thought. The engine jerked to a halt. Roy and Johnny immediately jumped down from the engine expecting to see another casualty. Cap was crouching and taking slow deliberate steps towards a young coyote. Its fur was burnt and it was in distress. Johnny ran back to the engine and grabbed his helmet and a bottle of water.

"Hey Gage, we don't have much water left" Chet called out.

"Then this can be my ration Kelly" Johnny yelled back over his shoulder annoyed with Chet's lack of compassion.

Johnny put some water in his helmet and slowly placed it under the coyote's head. It started to lap at the water. Roy came up beside Johnny with a blanket. Johnny looked at him questionably.

"I thought we could wrap him in this and take him with us and give him to the animal control guys." Johnny smiled at Roy's gesture.

"How old do you think he is John?" asked Cap knowing Johnny had more experience with wild animals than himself.

"Ah well I'd say about 6 months Cap" answered Johnny.

"He's the mother" called out Mike. He was pointing to the burnt carcass of an adult coyote.

When the coyote finished drinking, Johnny put on his gloves and carefully lifted him and put him in the blanket Roy was holding. They wrapped him up and placed him in with Marco and Chet. Marco nursed him, while Chet looked on and instantly regretted his remark to Johnny. Mike started up the engine and their journey continued. The engine carried her precious load of tired firemen, casualties of the fire and tragedies of the fire onward, like a mother carrying her young.

"How are you doing Mike? Do you need a break?" asked Cap showing concern for his stoic engineer.

"I'm alright Cap" replied Mike. His arms were tired but he steered his beloved engine onwards knowing how much everyone was relying on him to steer them to safety. His trust in his engine gave him the strength and stamina needed to continue. The red engine contrasted the black landscape as she sinuously moved through the hills.

Chet took over nursing the young coyote. Its yellow eyes blinked at its carer and whimpered when his hand pressed against its burnt side. "Heeyy, it's alright little fella. We're going to look after you, don't cry" Chet reassured it.

"Don't get attached Chet. It's a wild animal" stated Marco smiling at his friend's concern for the young coyote.

"Ah it's just a baby and his lost his momma" Chet said rubbing his thumb over the coyote's forehead. Marco shook his head at his friend.

Somehow rescuing the young animal helped eased the sullen mood they were in and gave them something to focus on, rather than the bleak countryside. As the road led them into the unknown, Cap's uneasiness grew; contact with base should have been established by now. The landscape remained black and the smoke from the fire could now be seen to the north east. They were heading north west, into an unknown state of affairs.


	4. Chapter 4

Engine 51 was approaching base, but as they got nearer both Cap and Mike looked at each other apprehensively. They soon realised they were in the middle of base and all that remained was two burnt out fire vehicles and the charred remains of the temporary building used to strategise. "Will you look at that?" Cap said perusing what was once their base.

Everyone looked at the blackened remains and visualised their fellow firemen virtually running for their lives. Mike caressed the steering wheel, thanking his sturdy engine for keeping them alive and safe. They all took deep breaths and patted their engine relishing the fact that they were still living.

"Where to Cap?" Mike asked.

"Kelly what does the map say?" Cap asked from his seat.

"Next town is north, about twenty miles" he replied "Just keep following the road" he continued, patting the sleeping coyote as he spoke.

Mike put the engine into 2nd gear and continued on down the road hoping that they wouldn't be facing any gruesome discoveries along the way. They were still deep in the hills, their next destination waiting to be reached. The engine continued to move through the hills, mindful of its cargo never wavering from its mission.

Johnny and Roy were worried about Karl. His burns needed to be debris in areas around the arms; infection was a big worry. Jason talked to Karl trying to keep his mind off the painful burns and trying to keep his own mind off his wife who lay under the blanket next to him.

Johnny began to frown as he tried to focus on what he thought was movement near a burnt out house. "Stop the engine" he called out and started to climb down.

"Johnny what is it?" asked Roy.

"Movement, I saw movement" he called out. He pointed towards the back of the scorched remains of the house. The chimney the only recognisable feature left of the house. Johnny, Roy and Cap walked round the back of the house. Floating in blackened water were two bodies, a woman and a child. The wind moved the face down bodies along the surface of the water. All three men squeezed their eyes shut but not before stopping the image from being etched into their minds, where it would remain for a long time.

"Should we move and cover them, for the authorities to take care of?"

"Yeah, let's get them out and wrap them up" said Cap.

Mike brought two blankets to use to wrap the bodies. He had joined the trio, and as soon as he saw the bodies he ran back to the engine for the blankets.

As Roy and Johnny retrieved the bodies, Roy remarked "They must have thought the pool would save them".

"Yeah well, they would have suffocated first, that fire would have sucked all the oxygen out of the air."

"Yeah" agreed Roy trying hard not to think about how terrifying it must have been for the woman and child.

They carried the wrapped bodies over to the remains of the house and placed the bodies carefully next to the chimney. The four men said silent prayers for the woman and child. Chet marked it on the map and they continued the arduous journey hoping against hope that the living nightmare would come to an end.

Johnny and Roy continued to scan the skies for helicopters. If things were still really bad with the fire to the east the helicopters would be busy water dropping to save other lives and property. They wondered if engine 51 was presumed dead by their superiors. They didn't blame them if they thought that after the devastation they had witnessed this day.

The stark landscape was endless, offering nothing but despair to the lone men as they continued to thread their way through the hills. They craved for Mother Nature's colours in contrast to the bleakness they constantly viewed. Their moods matched the landscape and hope was gradually being eroded. They were all tired, hungry and thirsty and craved for clean air. The constant intake of smoke killed their senses and they wondered if the smell would ever leave their nostrils. They swayed with the movement of the engine entrusting her with their lives. They never doubted that they would reach their destination totally trusting their engine and engineer to lead them out of the hills that held them captive.

Finally they reached a point where you could almost visualize the fire turning. Colour appeared in small areas and those areas grew in size the further they drove. Everyone sat up straighter anticipating seeing life, begging it to make an appearance for their starved eyes. It was a further ten miles down the road before they finally saw unscathed existence. Eight hours after being assigned, six fire-fighters, two ambulance attendants, two casualties, one code F and one injured coyote made their way into base. Everyone in the base stopped what they were doing and watched the engine roll in, finishing her journey and finally delivering her valuable cargo.

They were met by relieved superiors and peers. Dr Brackett and Dixie quickly took charge of the men and had them all led to an area where they were quickly given cold water and food. Dixie took one look at Johnny's face and returned with the necessary items to clean and treat the burns scattered over his face and neck. The Chief sat next to Cap and asked him what happened. Cap told him of their harrowing escape from the wind-driven fire and when he got to the part of reaching the original base, Chief told him how they fled with only minutes to spare. Cap gave him their map informing him of their gruesome findings.

Animal control approached Chet and took over the care of the coyote. "Make sure you take care of Lucky" he told them.

"Lucky?" Marco asked.

"Yeah well, I figured it was a good name for him. He was very lucky we came along and took care of him" said Chet affectionately. Naming the rescued coyote was a great idea he thought. Everyone just shook their heads. Chet never ceased to amaze his friends.

Everyone had their vitals checked; Johnny's blood pressure was very low so he was encouraged to drink juice to increase his sugar levels. As fellow fire-fighters returned to base stunned faces would take in the view of engine 51 and they would then scan the base for its crew. The men of engine 51 were constantly greeted by relieved fellow fire-fighters, all having thought A Shift of Engine 51 was part of the enormous death toll. Their stories would be retold many times over.

When life returned to normality, no-one scoffed when Mike gave his beloved engine a loving caress and every member would diligently pat the 51 emblem on the front of her at the start of every shift.

The fire marked its spot in the history books as one of the most devastating catastrophes. Whole towns were completely wiped out and many lives were lost that fateful day. One little life was returned to the wild six months later. Chet and Johnny took the honors of lifting the lid of the cage allowing Lucky to escape and join the small community of surviving coyotes within the hills. The earth was still black but life was taking birth across the landscape. Just before disappearing Lucky stopped and turned, he looked back at his carers as if to say thank you. Johnny noticed moisture pooling in Chet's eyes and placed his arm around his shoulders. The two men stood in silence and watched the small life disappear into the hills.


End file.
